Find the right starting point
Make the permit match the work
Marco Island Form 31 separates seawall, cap-only and French-drain scopes. It also requests engineered plans. A proposal should identify the actual structural work and who will confirm the application category.
Use current permit fees as an administrative allowance, not as a construction budget. Barge access and staging can matter even for a short repair.
Where should you start with the problem you see?
You do not know the cause
Start with an assessment scope. Ask the professional to distinguish observed damage from suspected causes and identify what remains concealed.
Ground is settling behind the wall
Use the soil-loss guide to prepare observations about joints, runoff and recurring depressions. Stay clear of the affected edge.
The cap is cracking or changing
Read the cap-repair questions. Ask whether the defect is limited to the cap or connected to movement elsewhere in the wall.
You already have a recommendation
Use the repair-versus-replacement worksheet to compare what each option repairs, retains and leaves uncertain.
Show sourcesHide sources
- City seawall permit application — Form 31Source reviewed 2026-10-25
- Marco Island Seawall Owner’s Manual (April 2014)Source reviewed 2026-10-25